1.
Compassion fatigue is real. And so is the power of repair.
If you have a failure of empathy with your kids, own your failure, offer compassion delayed, give space for their pain about your lack of compassion, and start the dance of connection again.
We all get out of step. The key is getting back in and taking the lead to get there.
P.S. we had our repair this morning and he said "mom it's ok, we all get grumpy sometimes, and anyways I had already forgotten"
Teaching healthy conflict resolution to our children means modeling it for them, which requires communicating and connecting through conflict without fighting dirty or being violent.
The idea of toughening up your children to deal with the world only makes you their first bully, stripping them of their sense of belonging with you; treat your children with respect and connection so that they instinctively protect themselves from unkind and cruel treatment.
A message to all fathers: keep going with your efforts to connect with your children because they desperately need to see what a healthy, connected, caring male looks like, and it will create a secure attachment that fosters resilience.